Sydney Mills, PsyD
As a psychologist, I try to meet each client where they are during each session. My goal is to help you work through and understand the challenges you face in your life, including trauma or negative experiences, fears, anxiety, depression, and/or relationship challenges. I help you recognize and understand your triggers/stressors, coping mechanisms, nutritional roadblocks, and maladaptive patterns of behavior to truly begin the process of healing and recovery. Because life’s challenges do not limit themselves to one population, I enjoy working with people of all ages—from children to adults, all ethnicities, and all sexualities. Further, I understand that much of what is challenging about life is building and maintaining a solid sense of identity. Clients often feel as though they are missing the confidence and self-esteem they need to truly explore their identities. I want to make it easier and safer for you to accomplish that goal in a hopeful and engaging manner. I strive to not only see and understand you but also to help you flesh out your goals to better recognize the steps we need to take together along the way to achieving those goals. By working together, we can overcome the challenges you are facing.
I support clients in individual therapy using a primarily psychodynamic, more specifically, relational, approach. This means that I want to know who the person is who is sitting in front of me and what/who in that person’s life contributed to the challenges they are bringing to therapy so I can better guide your own self-understanding in these areas. I also see myself as an integrative therapist, incorporating cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness, motivational interviewing (MI), and trauma-informed care. Utilizing these approaches allows me to individualize treatment for every client.
I also conduct psychological evaluations to help clients with diagnostic clarifications, academic and cognitive concerns, and emotional functioning questions. Assessments assist clients gain a better understanding of what areas they should focus on in treatment and moving forward in their daily lives. My goal is to provide recommendations that will allow clients to quickly begin improving their daily functioning.
I completed my Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the George Washington University in Washington, DC. I have experience working in psychiatric hospitals, schools, private practice, community health centers, and residential programs. Because of my wide range of experiences working in different settings and with varying diagnostic complexities, I am able to work with clients who have varying levels of difficulty understanding their experiences and challenges. I enjoy helping my clients learn to navigate their busy and challenging lives so they can better care for their mental health. I am licensed in the Commonwealth of Virginia and have PsyPact licensure which allows me to provide services in other states that participate in PsyPact.
your healing journey today